Wrath (Lamb of God album)

Wrath
Studio album by Lamb of God
Released	February 23, 2009
Recorded	2008
Genre	Groove metal, thrash metal
Length	44:43
Label	Epic, Roadrunner
Producer	Josh Wilbur
Lamb of God chronology
Sacrament (2006) Wrath (2009) Resolution (2012)
Singles from Wrath
"Contractor" Released: December 19, 2008 "Set to Fail" Released: January 14, 2009

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
About.com	link
Allmusic	link
The A.V. Club	(A) link
Blender	link
Blabbermouth.net	link
IGN	link
Kerrang!	link
Los Angeles Times	link
Rock Sound	link
Slant Magazine	link

Wrath is the sixth studio album by American groove metal band Lamb Of God. It was released on February 23, 2009. It achieved #2 on Billboard 200, with sales exceeding 68,000 in its first week.^[1][2] As of 2010 it has sold over 202,000 copies in the United States.^[3]

Background and production

In August, 2008, it was announced that the band had commenced work on the follow-up to Sacrament, and that it was expected to be released on February 24, 2009. Josh Wilbur was confirmed as the producer for the album. Wilbur takes the place of the band's previous producer, Machine, who worked with them on Ashes of the Wake and Sacrament.

The recording process of Wrath was made available for online viewing through the band's website, with two webcams installed in the studio (specifically in the drum room and mixing room).^[4]

Music and album direction

Speaking about the record, drummer Chris Adler stated:

"This album is going to surprise a lot of people. Typically bands that get to where we are in our career begin to slack off, smell the roses and regurgitate. We chose a different path. No one wants to hear another band member hyping a new record. ‘Wrath’ needs no hype. We have topped ourselves and on February 24 you will feel it."

"We are excited to be changing things up this time and working with Josh. We've never stayed in one place too long, and the Band's evolution continues. There is an aggressive shift in the material and our approach. The bar has been raised."^[5]

Guitarist Mark Morton was also quoted in an interview stating:

"We usually try to do something fresh every time. This one, I think, is deliberately a little more raw and more aggressive than 'Sacrament' was. 'Sacrament' was a really, really dynamic record on every level, and the songs were all over the place — it was also heavily produced. This one's really raw and real-sounding, from every angle, and we're celebrating imperfections on this record. We're choosing what takes stay on the record based more on their character and personality than how completely mechanically precise they are. It's more about vibe and attitude in the takes than it is about, 'Wow, that was perfect.' It's the perfect ones that get thrown away, because they're just too sterile."

"The guitar tones are a little cleaner than normal," he added. "We're kind of getting into this mind-set that clean is heavy. Clarity is a lot heavier than oversaturated. It's just real raw and natural and organic-sounding, which, in itself, is kind of revolutionary these days, when kids are making pro audio-sounding recordings in their dorm rooms, on their laptops, and cutting and pasting verses and choruses. It's no longer cutting edge to make a completely space-aged, robotic-sounding record. I think it's almost fresh now to make one that sounds like an actual band played it. Don't get me wrong — it still sounds airtight and rehearsed, because it is all those things. But it's just real."^[6]

Reception

Initial critical response to Wrath was positive. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average score of 74, based on 14 reviews.^[7]

The Los Angeles Times stated:

On its new album, Wrath, the Virginia band roots its best songs in a Motörhead swagger that makes the growly moments stickier and gives the stadium-sized choruses a hint of righteous evil.

IGN has stated:

The highlight of Wrath, however, is the band's technical prowess, which is omnipresent. And Blythe leads the charge valiantly, with a passel of angry proclamations. While Lamb of God doesn't exactly reinvent the wheel this time out, this is an impressive album—meaning it should be taken as a whole, cohesive listening experience. That's the best way of soaking up all the nuances and subtleties that make Lamb of God a standout American-metal band.

Allmusic has given it mixed comments, stating:

There's no denying the sheer "angry basement workout/summer garage weightlifting" potential that Wrath's perfectly acceptable 45-minute running time offers, but without a single hook that sticks around long enough to reel in the fish, all you've got is bait.

Blabbermouth.net has stated:

Despite Grammy nods, being hand-picked as direct support for Metallica, album sales out the ass and other invasions into the mainstream, Lamb of God haven't lightened up one damn bit. In fact, Wrath is nowhere near the over-produced product of a major label success story many of us were waiting for. Nope, Wrath is one raw, vicious and relentless mother fucker; the proverbial snarling beast that has finally broken from its cage and is out for blood...Thankfully, Lamb of God has yet to reach that point where they feel the need to re-invent the wheel, or even themselves for that matter. Since Ashes of the Wake, this has been a band who are very comfortable in their own shoes and will continue to wear them with pride as they kick the shit out of all of us.^[8]

About.com gave positive reviews on the album by stating:

The album closer "Reclamation" also starts acoustically before taking the listener on a 7 minute trip through various tempos, intensities and vocal styles. Wrath may not have a signature single like "Redneck" from their last CD Sacrament, but overall it's just as powerful and potent.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Lamb of God. 

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Passing"	1:58
2.	"In Your Words"	5:24
3.	"Set to Fail"	3:46
4.	"Contractor"	3:22
5.	"Fake Messiah"	4:34
6.	"Grace"	3:55
7.	"Broken Hands"	3:53
8.	"Dead Seeds"	3:41
9.	"Everything to Nothing"	3:50
10.	"Choke Sermon"	3:20
11.	"Reclamation"	7:05
Total length:		44:43

UK and Japanese special edition bonus tracks
No.	Title	Length
12.	"We Die Alone"	4:37
13.	"Shoulder of Your God"	5:52
14.	"Condemn the Hive"	3:41

Personnel

Lamb of God

• Chris Adler – drums
• Willie Adler – guitar
• Randy Blythe – vocals
• Mark Morton – guitar
• John Campbell – bass

Production

• Produced and mixed by Josh Wilbur
• Engineered by Dave Holdredge, Paul Saurez
• Mastered by Brian Gardner

Awards

2010 Grammy nomination

• Best Metal Performance - "Set to Fail"

2011 Grammy nomination

• Best Metal Performance - "In Your Words"

Charts

Chart (2009)	Peak position[9]
Australian ARIA Albums Chart	8
Austrian Albums Chart	53
Belgian Albums Chart	80
Dutch GfK Albums Chart	52
Finnish Albums Chart	5
New Zealand RIANZ Albums Chart	14
Swedish Albums Chart	35
Swiss Albums Chart	56
UK Albums Chart	25
U.S. Billboard 200[10]	2
U.S. Billboard Comprehensive Albums[11]	2
U.S. Billboard European Top 100 Albums[12]	41
U.S. Billboard Tastemakers[13]	1
U.S. Billboard Top Canadian Albums[14]	1
U.S. Billboard Top Digital Albums[15]	4
U.S. Billboard Top Hard Rock Albums[16]	1
U.S. Billboard Top Internet Albums[17]	4
U.S. Billboard Top Rock Albums[18]	1

References

1. ^ "MTV News.com: Lamb of God Bring the Wrath". http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1598785/20081106/lamb_of_god.jhtml. 
2. ^ "Billboard article". http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003947277. 
3. ^ "Week Ending Aug. 1, 2010: The Downloading Of Eminem - Chart Watch". New.music.yahoo.com. 2010-08-04. http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart_watch/59953/week-ending-aug-1-2010-the-downloading-of-eminem/. Retrieved 2011-08-13. 
4. ^ "Lamb Of God get all Big Brother". Kerrang. 2008-09-11. http://www2.kerrang.com/2008/09/lamb_of_god_get_all_big_brothe.html. Retrieved 2008-09-11. 
5. ^ "Lamb Of God News: The Wrath Of Lamb Of God!". Idiomag.com. http://www.idiomag.com/peek/47670/lamb_of_god. Retrieved 2011-08-13. 
6. ^ "BLABBERMOUTH.NET - LAMB OF GOD Guitarist Says New Album Is 'More Raw And Aggressive' Than 'Sacrament'". Roadrunnerrecords.com. http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=108413. Retrieved 2011-08-13. 
7. ^ "Lamb of God:Wrath (2009): Reviews". Metacritic. CNET Networks, Inc. http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/lambofgod/wrath. Retrieved 2009-04-07. 
8. ^ "Blabbermouth.Net". Roadrunnerrecords.com. http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/showreview.aspx?reviewID=1624. Retrieved 2011-08-13. 
9. ^ "Wrath chart performance" (in Dutch). Ultratop. GfK. http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Lamb+Of+God&titel=Wrath&cat=a. Retrieved March 3, 2009. 
10. ^ "The Billboard 200". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. March 14, 2009. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=305&cfgn=Albums&cfn=The+Billboard+200&ci=3106668&cdi=10149231&cid=03%2F14%2F2009. Retrieved March 13, 2009. ^{[dead link]}
11. ^ "European Top 100 Albums". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. March 14, 2009. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=292&cfgn=Albums&cfn=Billboard+Comprehensive+Albums&ci=3106664&cdi=10148916&cid=03%2F14%2F2009. Retrieved March 13, 2009. ^{[dead link]}
12. ^ "Billboard Comprehensive Albums". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. March 14, 2009. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=293&cfgn=Albums&cfn=European+Top+100+Albums&ci=3106745&cdi=10152055&cid=03%2F14%2F2009. Retrieved March 13, 2009. ^{[dead link]}
13. ^ "Tastemakers". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. March 14, 2009. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=407&cfgn=Albums&cfn=Tastemakers&ci=3106665&cdi=10149115&cid=03%2F14%2F2009. Retrieved March 13, 2009. ^{[dead link]}
14. ^ "Top Canadian Albums". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. March 14, 2009. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=309&cfgn=Albums&cfn=Top+Canadian+Albums&ci=3106633&cdi=10148140&cid=03%2F14%2F2009. Retrieved March 13, 2009. ^{[dead link]}
15. ^ "Top Digital Albums". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. March 14, 2009. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=400&cfgn=Albums&cfn=Top+Digital+Albums&ci=3106634&cdi=10148183&cid=03%2F14%2F2009. Retrieved March 13, 2009. ^{[dead link]}
16. ^ "Top Hard Rock Albums". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. March 14, 2009. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=795&cfgn=Albums&cfn=Top+Hard+Rock+Albums&ci=3106649&cdi=10148600&cid=03%2F14%2F2009. Retrieved March 13, 2009. ^{[dead link]}
17. ^ "Top Internet Albums". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. March 14, 2009. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=327&cfgn=Albums&cfn=Top+Internet+Albums&ci=3106639&cdi=10148348&cid=03%2F14%2F2009. Retrieved March 13, 2009. ^{[dead link]}
18. ^ "Top Rock Albums". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. March 14, 2009. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=408&cfgn=Albums&cfn=Top+Rock+Albums&ci=3106659&cdi=10148715&cid=03%2F14%2F2009. Retrieved March 13, 2009. ^{[dead link]}